Grid type metal grille



July 23, 1935. L. B. GREEN 2,@@8,907

GRID TYPE METAL GRILLE Filed May 4, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .T Ven Leej. Greer I juiy 23, 1935. L. B. GREEN GRID TYPE METAL GRILLE Filed May 4, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Lee greer; I

' Patented July 23, 1935' p 9? UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE Lee 13. Green, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to The Globe Machine & Stamping Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 4, 1934, Serial No. 723,948 11 Claims. (Cl. 18982) My invention relates to a metal grille of the plane of each blade with respect to the general type in which generally parallel blades extend frontal plane of the grille, I also desirably protransversely of cross-members and are anchored vide the rear edges of the cross-bars with notches to these members'into a grid-type assembly, for receiving forward portions of the anchoring grilles of this type being now extensively used for rods; and to afford both the desired frontal orna- 5 guarding the frontal apertures in radiator shells mentation and a closing of each blade at both its on auto-mobiles. front andrear edges, I desirably also provide lon- In someof its major objects, my invention aims gitudinally slitted ornamenting tubes each of to provide a grille of this typein which each which extends in front of the cross-bars and. is

blade is anchored to all of the cross-members ad" interlocked with the forward portions or a blade. 10

jacent to it by a single and easily attached an- Illustrative of myinventioniand of further obchoring member, instead of requiring a separate jects of the same, 1

operation for fastening the blade to each of these Fig. .1 is a fragmentary front elevation of an Y cross-members; in which the blades and the upright grille having frontally ornamented cross-members have relatively interfitting porblades. I

tions arranged for permitting a speedy slidable Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the engaging of the blades with the cross-members; left-hand upper portion of the grille of Fig. 1.

in which each anchoring member can be attached Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section through by a mere sliding movement followed by a dethe same grille, taken along the line 3-3 of and in which the said portions of the blades and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary. horizontal section, the cross-members will thereafter cooperate with taken along theline 4-4 of Fig. 1 and drawn on the anchoring members to constitute a rigid gridthe same scale as Fig. 3, with one blade and its like grille assembly. ornamenting tube omitted.

forming of one end of this anchoring member; Fig. 2.

Furthermore, my invention aims to provide a Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the 25" grille of these characteristics in which the blades horizontal cross-bars or cross-members of the can be cheaply formed from simple sheet metal grille, drawn on the same scale as Fig. 1. strips, in which quite thin metal for the blades, Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of one Will suffice for affording a grille of ample rigidity of the blades, drawn on the same scale as Fig. 3.

will suflice for each anchoring member, and in to Fig. l, showing the formation of a cross-bar which the resiliency of the metal of theblades for a V-front grille and including one of the will compensate for manufacturing variations in blades, together with the corresponding anchorthe exact size of certain parts. ing member and ornamenting tube.

and guarding efficiency, in which a piece of wire Fig. '7 is a fragmentary horizontal section, allied In addition, my invention aims to provide a Fig. 8 is afragmentary horizontal section, allied 357 grille of this class in which each blade will be to Fig. 4, showing another shape of the rearward closed both at its frontal edge and at its rearward recesses in the cross-bar and an alternative shapedge, and in which the forward portion of each ing of the forward portions of the two webs of blade can be of a chrome-plated or otherwise the blade.

bright and corrosion-resisting metal while per- Fig. 9 is a fragmentary horizontal section, also mitting the use of cheaper and more cheaply finallied to Fig. 4, showing the use of a cross-bar ished metal for all othervparts of the grille. having no recesses in its rearedge for engaging Generally speaking, I accomplish the objects of theanchoring members, and having each frontal my invention by providing the blades and the slot of such a width thatportions of the two cross-bars with relatively interfitting slotted porwebs offa blade conjointly fit into it. 45

tions which allow these members of my grille to Fig.'l0 is a rear perspective view of a fragment be slidably assembled after the manner of the of agrille, showing the use of asingle-piece blade partitioning strips in an egg carton or the like, provided 'with bridge formations through which by forming each blade so as to present alined the anchoring member extends. eyes or loops through which an anchoring rod Fig. 10A is a plan se'ction of the last named 50 can be slid, and by disposing these loops so a fragment of a grille, taken in the plane of the slidably inserted anchoring rod will bear forupper face ofthe cross-barC in Fig. 10.

wardly against the rear edges of all of .thecross- Fig.' 11 is a separate plan view of the cross-bar bars across which that blade extends, portion shown in Figs. 10 and 10A.

To insure an axactpositioning of the medial Fig. 12 is a fragmentary side elevation of 5'5 blade, allied to Fig. 6, but formed so that its forward longitudinal edge is concaved, and also showing the corresponding part of the anchoring bar associated with this blade. 7

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary side elevation allied to Fig. 1, but showing each slot in the blade as extending at right angles to the adjacent portion of either longitudinal edge of the blade.

Fig. 1411s an enlargement of the upper left-hand portion of Fig. 4, showing the desirable relative positions of the rearward portion of a U-sectioned blade and the notched rear edge of a cross-arm before the anchoring rod is inserted, and Fig. 15 shows the change in the cross-sectional shape of the blade caused by the inserting of the anchoring rod.

In constructing the grille of Fig. 1, I first provide counterpart cross-bars C each formed as in Fig. 5 with a tab C (of less width than the main portion of the cross-bar) projecting from each end thereof, and two side bars Iprovided' with similarly spaced slots through which the said tabs are slidably insertable, only the left-hand one of these side bars being shown in the fragmentary grille part as illustrated in Fig. 1. Each of these cross-bars C has a series of slots S extending rearwardly into it, the spacings and locations of these slots being counterparts in all of the crossbars when the side bars and the blades are all to be parallel to each other,

Then I provideU-sectioned sheet metal blades B each ofwhich has parallel slots S (Fig. 6) of equal depth extending forwardly into it through its U-back, with the slot walls at right angles to the closed rear edge of the blade. Each such blade is of sufiiciently greater width than the cross-hare C so that, when the blade is slid rearwardly over the cross-bars until the slot bottoms of the blades bear against the bottoms S of the slots in the cross-bars, as in Figs. 2 and 4 the closed rear U-back) portions of the blades will preject rear-. wardly beyond the cross-arms, while the forward and unslotted parts B of both webs of the blade will project forwardly beyond the crossbars.

To prevent a relative movement of the blades (both laterally and vertically) with respect to the cross-bars when they are thus assembled (after the manner of the crossed partition strips in a candy box, egg carton or the like) I make the slots S in each blade of a width substantially equalling the thickness of each cross bar. I also make the width of each cross-bar slot S such that forward unslotted parts of both webs of a blade can readily he slid conjointly into one of these cross-bar slots so as to have the oppositely directed faces of these two blade web parts pressed respectively against the two side walls of the slot by the resiliency. of the metal from which the blade was formed.

In addition to thus slotting both the blades and the cross-bars so that they will interlock to form a grid, I preferably provide the rear edge of each cross-bar with upright recesses or notches -N, each of which has its upright medial plane P in common with the upright medial plane of one of the slots S in the cross-bar, as shown in Fig. 4.

When the blades and the cross-bars have thus been'assembled into a grid-like structura'the rear blade parts which are consecutively spaced by the slots S in the blades present alined loops behindthe alined notches N of the rear edges of the cross-bars, as'shown in Fig. 14. I then anchor each blade to all of the cross-bars by inserting a over which an ornamenting tube he slid, or snapped if the tube'is single anchoring member through all of these alined loops. Each such anchoring member may be a simple rod R having a pointed tip at the end which is inserted first; and after this rod is insorted, each end of it can readily be turned at right angles to the general axis of the rod to latch it against withdrawal, since these exposed ends will be concealed behind the radiator shell front. Or, the unpointed end Ra may be turned over, as shown in Fig. 1, before the rod is inserted.

With blades formed of resilient metal, I preferably proportion the depth of the slots in the blades and the cross-arms to the width of the cross-bars and the cross-sectional dimensions of the blades so that when the bottom of a blade slot bears against the bottom of a slot in the crossbar, the clear spacing D (Fig. 14) along the said medial plane P between the U-back edge of the blade and the bottom of the adjacent cross-bar notch N is less than the diameter of the anchoring rod, and also form the interior of the said U-back with a greater radius of curvature than the radius of the said rod. Then, when the anchoring rod R is being inserted, this rod stretches the blade to a greater blade width and a reduced spread of its U-back, as shown in Fig. 15. By doing this I utilize the resiliency of the blade for clamping the anchoring bar againstthe cross-bar, and also to compensate for manufacturingivariations in the diameter of the anchoring rod or in the thickness of the metal of the blades, thereby insuring a rigid assembly of the cross-bars and blades,

To. close tr e front of, each blade against the entrance of dust, mud, rain or snow, I preferably form each such U-sectioned blade of such a width that its webs can present portions forward of the, 7 portions a longi-. tudinally slitted tube T can be attached after the.

cross-bars, to which projecting blades and cross-bars have been assembled as heretofore described.

Thus, Figs. 2, 3 and 4 each show the blade B,

as having the forwardly projecting portions of its two webs bent away from each other and thereafter toward each other, so as to form a tube can readily sufficiently resilient. Being manufactured separately from the corresponding blade, each such ornamenting tube can be of a brightly finished metal-as for example, chrome-plated steel or stainless steeiwithout requiring any expensive finish for the blade ornamented by it. I

In practice, I have found the rigidity of my above described simple arrangement for anchoring the blades to the cross-bars to be such that an approximate interfitting of each cross-bar slot by the parts of the two webs of a blade which,

extend into it will in itself be ample, even if the cross-bar has its rear edge free of the notches N of Figs. 4 and 5as shown for example in Fig. 9.

'However, I preferably provide these rear edge notches in the cross-bars, since they permit each slot S in a cross-bar to be so much widerthan the joint thickness of the two webs of a blade as to facilitate the slidable assembling of the blades with the cross-bars.

Moreover, while I have heretofore described my invention in comiection with a flat-fronted grille for which each cross-bar would have straight front and rear edges, and for which each blade would have the slots S parallel to one another, the adaptability of my grille construction is not limited in these respects. For example, Fig. 7 shows a mid length part ofa crossbar for a so called V-front grille, together with one of the attached blades. To provide this effect, the cross-bar is bent at its mid-length and the common medial plane P of each slot S and the correspondingv rearnotch N isiparallel to the vertical medial plane M- of the grille.

If the grilleis to curve forward downwardly, the blades can readily be curved accordingly, and when the slots S in the bladesare parallel as in Fig. 12, each such blades can readily be slid simultaneously over cross-bars, already connected by side bars. "Or,; if each blade slot has its medial planeP atright angles to an adjacent longitudinal edge portion, as in Fig. 13, the cross-bars can he slid separately over the blades by a forward movement.

Moreover, while I have described the cross-bars of my grille as jointly spanning two side bars, I do not wish to be limited to this or other details of the here disclosed construction, so long as the changes do not depart from the spirit of my invention and from the appended claims.

I also do not wish tobe limitedas to any particular shaping of the forward blade web portions to which the ornamenting tube is attached, since the forward edge portions of the two webs might merely be spread apart to afford fingers B as in Fig. 8-over which the slitted tube T is slid.

Furthermore, my grille construction need not be limited to the use of blades of a forwardly open U-section, since a single-webbed blade will suffice if formed so as to present alined loops behind the common plane (or other common surface) of the rear edges of the cross-bars. Thus, Figs. 10A and 10 show the use of a fiat blade F having its forward edge portion rolled into a tube F and having alined bridge-like portions L formed respectively from blade parts between the successive slots S With these bridge portions suitably positioned with respect to the cross-bars, of which a corresponding portion is shown separately in Fig. 11, the anchoring rod R. slid through them will bear against the rear edges of each cross-bar C as shown in Fig. 10, and the tube F in itself may afford the ornamental forward part of the blade.

I claim as my invention:

l. A metal grille comprising relatively transverse sets of spaced blades and cross-bars having slotted portions slidably interlocked with each other, the slots in the blades opening rearwardly and each blade having its slot bottom engaging the bottom of a slot ina cross-bar, each blade having loop-like portions extending farther rearward than the cross-bars; and anchoring members each extending longitudinally of a blade through the said loop-like portions of that blade, each' anchoring member bearing forwardly against rearwardly facing edge portions of the cross-bars, and bearing rearwardly against bore parts of the loop-like portions of a blade, whereby the anchoring member clamps the bladeto the cross-bars.

2. A metal grille as per claim 1, in which each cross-bar has its rear edge provided with notches in each of which a portion of an anchoring member is seated.

3. A grille comprising a grid-like assemblage of spaced and generally parallel blade members with spaced cross-bars extending transversely of the said blades, each blade member having forward portions thereof bearing rearwardly respectively against a' rearward portion of each cross-bar, and each blade member having alined loop portions extending farther rearward than the icrossebars,;;and anchoring members each extendingrthroughthe saidalined-loop portions of a blade member, each anchoring member bearing rearwardly against the loop portions through which it extends and forwardly against the cross-barsso as to clamp-the said forward portions of the same blade to the adjacent for- 5. A grille comprising spaced and parallel blades, each blade being of a generally U-shaped section having its U -back at the rear and presenting forwardly converging webs, and each blade having parallel slots extending forwardly into it through the U-back of the blade; spaced cross-bars extending transversely of the said blades, each cross-bar having parallel slots extending rearwardly into it and of a width not less than the joint thickness of the two webs of a blade, and each cross-bar being of a thickness corresponding substantially to the width of a slot in a blade; the said blades and cross-arms being slidably interfitted with the bottom of each slot in a cross-bar engaging the bottom of a slot in a blade; the depths of the slots in the blades and cross-bars being so proportioned to the Widths of the blades and the cross-bars that each blade when thus interfitted with the crossbars presents alined U-sectioned portions behind the common surface of the rear edges of the cross-bars; and anchoring members each extending through the said alined portions of a blade and bearing rearwardly against the U-back parts of that blade, and each such member bearing forward against the rear edges of the crossbars so as to clamp the bottoms of the slots in that blade against the bottoms of slots in the cross-bars,

6. A grille as per claim 5 in which each blade is made of resilient metal and formed so that its resiliency tends to spread the two webs of the blade apart, whereby the said resiliency causes parts of the two Webs of each blade to press respectively against the two longitudinal walls of each slot in a cross-bar.

7. A. grille as per claim 5 in which each anchoring member is a cylindrical rod having a pointed tip; and in which each blade is made of resilient metal and initially so formed that, when the blades are slidably interfitted in the recited manner with the cross-bars, the maximum rearward spacing of the U-back of each blade from the adjacent rear edge portion of a cross-bar is less than the diameter-of an anchoring rod, whereby the insertion of a rod point first through the said alined U-sectioned blade ports will stretch the width of the blade so that the resiliency of the blade will thereafter effect the recite-d clamping.

8; A grille as per claim 5, in which each crossbar has its rear edge provided with notches respectively entered by the anchoring members, each notch having its center in the medial plane of a slot in. the cross-bar. I

9. A grille as per claim 5, in which each blade has both of its webs projecting forwardly beyond the cross-bars, and in which the said forwardly projecting blade web portions diverge forwardly; in combination with longitudinally slitted ornamenting tubes each straddling the said forwardly projecting portions of a blade and extending in front of the said portions to coneeal the latter.

10. 'A grille as per claim 3, in which each blade has portions of both webs thereof extending 'farther forward than the cross-bars, the said fdrwardly extending portions of the two webs-of each blade diverging forwardly and thereafter converging farther forwardly so as to constitute tube-like frontal blade portions: and longitudinally slitted tubes each straddling the said forwardly projecting portions of a blade so as to conceal the forward edges of the two webs of thatblade and to prevent the entrance of dust or the like between the said webs.

11. A metal grille comprising spaced and parallel blades, and spaced and parallel cross-bars extending transversely of the said blades and interlocked with the said blades te'constitu'te a rigid grid-like assembly; each blade having portions thereof extending further forward than the cross-bars, and having loop-like portions extending further rearward than the cross-bars; anchoring members each extending through the said loop-like portions of a blade'and bearing forwardly against the cross-bars; and rearwardly open longitudinally slitted tubes extending in front of the cross-bars; each of the said tubes straddling and housing the said forwardly extending portions of one of the blades, and each of the said tubes bearing rearwardly against the cross-bars. 1

LEE B. GREEN. 

